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Neyrey J. H. - Worship in The Fourth Gospel. A Cultural Interpretation of John 14-17 (BTB 2006)
Neyrey J. H. - Worship in The Fourth Gospel. A Cultural Interpretation of John 14-17 (BTB 2006)
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s the title indicates, this paper examines first the cultural phenomenon of worship and then with it in mind, the section of the Fourth Gospel where this is richly found and formally treated, John 1417. Critical interpretation of the shape of human relationships with God, it is hoped, will advance our understanding of the Deity.
Three elements are worth our notice: (1) object of worship = a worthy figure; (2) purpose of worship = to honor the deity (to recognize and describe the worth of); (3)
Jerome H. Neyrey, Ph. D. (Yale University) is professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Notre Dame (neyrey.1@ nd.edu). His most recent book is Render to God: New Testament Understandings of the Divine. He is the author of sixteen articles on the Fourth Gospel and one book; and he has authored a socio-rhetorical commentary on John for the Cambridge University Press which will appear shortly. He is currently finishing a manuscript on prayer and worship for Eerdmans. He is also a member of The Context Group, which studies the Scripture in its social and cultural context.
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synagogue worship both in form and in content, especially prayer and the study of the Scripture; (2) its activities were not tied to particular places, but could be practiced virtually anywhere; and 3) the central forms of worship were verbal. David Aunes description best represents this consensus:
Christian worship had a primarily verbal character, and in this respect it was similar to synagogue Judaism. . . .Yet Christians did have religious gatherings where various types of rituals were practiced. Christians gathered to eat together, to baptize new members, to read Scripture, to listen to God speaking through other Christians, to experience healing, to pray and sing hymns and thanksgivings to God. These activities were not tied to particular places, but could be practiced virtually anywhere [Aune 1992: 973].
Scriptures, the words of Jesus, or Spirit-inspired utterances; and (4) these activities are detached from any particular place. But what is meant by worship? Worship: Definition and Anthropological Model. What is worship? why include this or that action? Definitions, however, are rare; most social science dictionaries and encyclopedia exclude it (although they attempt to define religion). We suggest a social science definition of prayer by Bruce Malina, which we judge can be be readily adapted to describe all forms of worship.
[Worship is] a socially meaningful symbolic act of communication, bearing directly upon persons perceived as somehow supporting, maintaining, and controlling the order of existence of the one praying, and performed with the purpose of getting results from or in the interaction of communication [Malina: 214].
As regards the content of early Christian worship, the following synopsis contains the typical verbal forms of worship described by scholars: prayers, creeds, doxologies, hymns, songs, psalms, prophecy, homilies, teaching, and public reading of the Scriptures. This basic description is grounded on worship in New Testament documents, such as Acts 2:42 (they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and the prayers), the letters of Paul (e. g., 1 Cor 11:20ff; 14:136), Plinys letter to Trajan (Ep 10.96), and reconstructions of early synagogue worship (Martin: 1827). We must, however, include one more element which is not always clear in these surveys, namely, the transmission of the Jesus tradition. Cullmanns comment suffices:
The proclamation of the message of salvation had a fixed place not only in the early missionary preaching, but also in the worship services of the community. Intimately associated with it particularly in the assemblies of the community is the transmission of Jesus words and Worship as speaksender: mortals message: petitions, narratives concerning to God confessions, etc. ing him [4849].
This definition/model derives from the communication theory articulated by Berlo (4760) and then by Rogers & Shoemaker (11, 1819, 25152). It contains five elements: (1) a sender, who sends a (2) message, (3) by means of some channel, (4) to a receiver, (5) for the purpose of having some effect. Malinas model explains how in the worshiping action of prayer (1) worshipers (senders), (2) send a communication (message), (3) in language and gesture (channel), (4) to God, the object of worship (receiver), (5) in order to have some effect on the deity (purpose). Yet in worship, communication also comes from God, such that there should be a second direction of the communication model which accounts for a flow from God to mortals, who now listen instead of speaking: (1) God (sender), (2) sends a communication (message), (3) using certain mediating figures (channels), (4) to worshipers (receivers), (5) for the purpose of having an effect (bless, inform, exhort, etc.). The two directional flows of worship, then, look like this:
channel: voiced prayer; incense burned; sacrifice offered receiver: God effect: see many types of prayer below = effect
The importance Worship as listensender: God message: informachannel: Jesus or receiver: Chriseffect: reform of ing to God tion, exhortation, Holy Spirit or group tian group behavior; inform; of this material for rebuke, etc. prophet confirm; exhort our project lies in having the most comSince our definition of worship controls what we label plete index of typical verbal forms of worship as we begin our reading of John 1417. Thus, we know several imporas worship, let us be clear about the object of worship, its purpose, and its forms of communication. Christians comtant things: (1) worship is primarily verbal; (2) members municate with the living and true God and in turn lispray and sing hymns and thanksgivings; (3) they not only ten to Gods word(s). Worships manifold purpose includes speak to God in prayer, but also listen to God through the
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petitionary prayer to obtain goods and services for individual needs prayer to maintain emotional ties with God; prayer of simple presence. Lament, such as Ps 22, praise; Magnificat prayers that identify the self (individual and social) to God; self-revelation of the person praying (contrition, humility, boasting, and superiority prayer that explores the world of God and Gods workings within us individually and collectively; meditative prayers, perceptions of the spirit in prayer prayer to create an environment of ones own with God; prayers in tongues (1 Cor 14) and those recited in languages unknown to the pray-er prayers that communicate information: prayers of acknowledgment and thanksgiving; confessions (Rom 10:9, 1213); doxologies (1 Tim 1:17 & 6:1516
Heuristic
Imaginative
Acknowledgment
another Counselor 15:7: If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will 15:16b: Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you 16:2324: In that day you will ask nothing of me . . . if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name 16:26: In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father We note several things: (1) the object of the petitions is both vastly expansive (whatever and anything and specific (the Counselor); and (2) while the Patron being petitioned is always God, Jesus maintains his role as broker by indicating that the petitions will be made in my name. Petitionary prayer, moreover, is the only type of prayer found in John 1416. But when we turn to John 17, we observe a prayer composed of a variety of types. Jesus Multi-Purposed Prayer in John 17. Malinas taxonomy of prayer provides the means to distinguish different types of prayer occurring in John 17. In general, we consider the whole of John 17 as an heuristic prayer: it explores the world of God and Gods workings within the Son and his disciples, individually and collectively (Malina & Rohrbaugh: 24448). It is not a search for meaning so much as a revelation of the state of the relationship of the pray-er and God. Thus it is heuristic in that it discovers and uncovers interpersonal perspectives implicit in all the actions culminating in Jesus hour. Yet this is by no means the only kind of prayer in John 17. We can classify the statements of Jesus as instrumental/petitionary, self-focused, and informative, as the following chart indicates:
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Jn 17 v2 v3 v5 v6 vv 68 glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee. . . . this is eternal life, that they (ack)know(ledge) You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made. I have manifested Your NAME to the men whom You gave me out of the world Yours they were, and You gave them to me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from You; for I have given them the words which You gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for those in the world, but for those whom You have given me, for they are Yours. All mine are thine; and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them Keep them in Your NAME, which You have given to me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in Your NAME, which you have given me; I have guarded them and none of them is lost but the son of perdition. But now I am coming to You; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. V 14: I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but keep them from the Evil One. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in Your truth. As You sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. For their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth. I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in me and I in You, that they may be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent me. The glory which you have given me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them and You in me, that they may be perfectly one, that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given to me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which You have given me in Your love for me before the foundation of the world. O just Father, the world has not known You; but I have known You; and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them Your NAME, and I will make it known that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. Prayer Text Classification instrumental acknowledge instrumental self--focused self-focused
v9 v 10 v11 v 12 vv 1314
v 24 vv 2526
instrumental self-focused
We observe that Jesus petitions God frequently (vv 2, 5, 11, 1516, 17, 2021, 24), the form of which is easily discerned: (1) a verb, such as ask, in the imperative mood, and (2) a request for a specific benefaction from God (glory, unity, special relationship, etc.). We see, moreover, another type of prayer, which Malina calls self-focused (68, 9, 10, 12, 1314, 16, 1819, 20, 2223, 2526), whose form is also clearly expressed in first-person speech: I made manifest; I kept them in your name; I have given them your word (vs. second-person speech used in petitionary prayer), which celebrates the record of Jesus past good deeds (vs. future benefactions in petitionary prayer (see Downing). In John 17 Jesus reveals to God that he has fulfilled his apostleship and done what God sent him to do: I have glorified you on earth (4) I have manifested your name (6, 26) I have given them the words which you have given me (8, 14) I have kept them in your name (12a) I have guarded them (12b) I have sent them into the world (18)
I have consecrated myself (19) I have given them the glory which you have given me
(22)
I have known you (25).
Unlike petitionary prayer, Jesus declares to God before his disciples his perfect fulfilment of the mission he was sent to accomplish: (1) he has glorified God on earth, (2) he has manifested to the disciples the divine Name and kept them in it, (3) he has given the divine words to them, and (4) he has extended his work by sending them into the world (Cullmann: 5; see the excursus at the top of page 6). Labeling John 17 a high priestly prayer is clearly anachronistic, although the label does convey the sense that Jesus enjoys the role of mediator or broker of Gods benefaction. Similarly, the self-focused prayer celebrates that Jesus prime accomplishment has been to channel Gods benefaction through himself to the disciples. Benefits came through Jesus and will continue to come through him. This self-focused prayer by Jesus may also be seen as a claim to the virtue of piety or justice. Throughout the Greco-Roman world, justice was thought of as the noble fulfilment of ones basic
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Excursus: A Self-Focused Egyptian Prayer: The deceased stands before his god, communicating his innocence in a self-focused prayer. Behold, Sati-merfiti, Lord of Justice, is your name. I have brought you justice. I have expelled deceit for y ou. I have not mistreated cattle. I have not done violence to a poor man. I have not done that which the gods abominate. I have not defamed a slave to his superior. I have not made anyone sick. I have not had sexual relations with a boy. I have not defiled myself. I have neither increased nor decreased the grain measure. I am pure! I am pure! I am pure! I am pure! (Prochard 1969:34)
The distinction of the triple focus of justice is found regularly in the philosophical and rhetorical literature of antiquity, and also in John 17. Here Jesus acknowledges that he has fulfilled his duties to God (I have glorified you, manifested your name, given them your words) and his duties to kin (I have kept them, guarded them, etc. Thus Jesus celebrates his virtuous completion of the duties he owes to God, who is Father and Patron and kin. Yet in 17:3 we find still a third type of prayer, namely, acknowledgment: This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. Instead of a petition, we find here a confessional formula whose aim is to honor God and Jesus. This prayer consists of two elements: (1) we read to know in the sense of to acknowledge, that is, to honor and confess the worth, sovereignty, and excellence of God. The first part of 17:3 closely resembles the confession known as the Shema, the leading prayer in the synagogue (see Mark 12:29, 32). Thus acknowledgment of the only true God is a appropriate confessional honoring of God. But 17:3 also includes confession of Jesus Christ whom you have sent. So the complete honoring of God must also acknowledge both praise of the unique God of Israel and respect for Gods unique agent, Jesus (see John 5:2324). While confession and creed are no strangers to New Testament scholarship, rarely if ever have they been examined as prayer (Martin: 5265; Delling: 7791). John 17:3 is situated in a continuous address to
In this case, sender = Jesus; message = information; medium = prophet (& Spirit); receiver = Christian group. And God? Nothing is said about the purpose of the prophecy. We do well to note the differences between the two definitions of prophecy. First, we maintain that God is the sender of prophetic messages through the channel of the Risen Jesus and/or the Spirit of Truth. The local prophet should be considered a sub-broker or auxiliary channel to Jesus and/or the Spirit. Second, Boring is not clear that the situation is one of worship, nor does his definition indicate the various purposes of speech beyond enlightenment, such as rebuke, exhortation and the like. We need, then, a catalogue of the varieties of prophetic speech which can clarify both the situation of prophecy and especially its diverse purposes. At the end of his comprehensive study of prophecy in early Christianity and the Hellenistic world, David Aune offers the following list of
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basic forms of Christian prophetic speech: (1) oracles of assurance; (2) prescriptive oracles; (3) announcements of salvation; (4) announcements of judgment; (5) legitimation oracles; and (6) eschatological theophany oracles (1983: 32025). Prophet in the Fourth Gospel. The Fourth Gospel occasionally records people favorable to Jesus acclaiming him as a prophet (4:19; 6:14; 7:40 (52); 9:17), generally referring to his wisdom or powers, that is, a prophet mighty in word and deed. But prophet/prophecy in John 1417, while it focuses on the words of Jesus, also makes specific note of predictions of future events. Among the many remarks about going away and coming back (14:3, 1819; 16:16), we find three statements that serve a special purpose that surpasses the mere communication of esoteric information. Some predictions by Jesus serve a prophylactic purpose of confirming loyalty in times of conflict. For example, after repeating the remark I go away and I will come to you, Jesus states the reason for telling this to the disciples: Now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe (14:2829). Similarly, after Jesus discloses the bleak future awaiting the disciples (16:12), he explains once again the prophylactic reason for his remarks: I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them (16:4). The Fourth Gospel would have us read these statements as communication from Jesus in the course of his career, which, when remembered, ameliorates a future crisis by indicating a providential knowledge of, if not control of, future, painful events. Thus, the purpose of this prophetic communication is exhortation to faithfulness, courage, and the like. In a similar vein, when Jesus declares that the disciples will be hated (15:1825), he adds, Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master (15:20). An earlier word in 13:16 reads: A servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. But this remark occurs in the context of the mandate of Jesus that the disciples wash one anothers feet: if Jesus (master) did so, then disciples (servants) must do likewise. While in 15:1825 the words are the same, the context has changed. Now hate is the fate of both master and servants. Thus past words can be prophetic of future events, especially trials awaiting the disciples. And in both cases, the purpose of the communication is to exhort and encourage. But where is God in this communication? Jesus labors to convince people that My teaching is not mine but his who sent me (7:16); I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me (8:28); and The words which you hear are not mine but the Fathers who sent me (14:24). Thus Jesus prophecies about the groups future are part of his role as the broker who mediates Gods words to Gods clients. Statement, Misunderstanding, Clarification. Prophecy may also be understood as the communication of esoteric information needed to understand Jesus cryptic words. Throughout the Fourth Gospel the author regularly casts Jesus discourse with friend and foe in terms of a pattern known as statement, misunderstanding, and clarification (Neyrey: 98101, 10708). Jesus makes a statement (You know the way where I am going, 14:4), which is misunderstood (Lord, we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way, 14:5), to which Jesus offers a clarification (I am the way, the truth, and the life, 14:6).
statement misunderstanding clarification 14:14 14:5 14:6 14:7 14:8 14:911 14:1821 14:22 14:2324 16:16 16:1718 16:1924 16:2527 16:2930 16:3133
Although instances of this pattern occur regularly throughout the Gospel, we find a concentration of it in chapters 14 and 16. Previously this pattern served either as catechetical enlightenment of enlighten-able disciples, such as the Samaritan Woman, or the raising of a wall which shuts out un-enlighten-able disciples, such as Nicodemus and the Jerusalem crowds. In John 1417, insiders and core disciples require special information about the cryptic world of Jesus, which is provided for them, we suggest, by prophets speaking in the name of Jesus. Although we will take up the topic of the Spirit of truth enlightening or reminding the disciples, we presume in this discussion that the Spirit is operative. Thus, this pattern functions to make and maintain boundaries; it informs, but by doing so marks and confirms certain persons as elite insiders. The quest for esoteric information may be observed also in the patterns of questions and answers found in John 1416. In addition to the question of Thomas noted above (14:5), Judas, not the Iscariot, asked How is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? (14:22). In several places Jesus himself asks the question which sets up his subsequent answer. Although Jesus question to Philip has much of the reproach in it (14:9), it issues in a remarkable revelation of Jesus union with God (14:1011). Similarly, Jesus questions the failure of the disciples to ask about his cryptic remark (16:5). At the very least, this pattern indicates that Jesus speech was filled with esoteric meanings and double-meaning words, which the receivers do not fully
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His parade piece is Acts 13:1441 in which the speaker begins with a reprise of salvation history from Exodus to Conquest to the good news about Jesus (13:1633) and concludes with a citation of Scripture which is interpreted to refer to Jesus (13:3337). After this, the speaker draws a conclusion as though he were finishing a syllogism: Therefore . . . through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed . . . and by him everyone is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses (13:3839). This conclusion about Jesus mediation implies that the hearers should ally themselves with Jesus to share in his mediation. After urging acceptance, the author exhorts the audience not to fail to act, lest the dire prophecy of Habbakuk 1:5 be fulfilled (13:4041). C. Clifton Black basically endorses Willss study, but considers it in terms of the types of classical rhetoric, especially deliberative (Black: 5, 810). Willss notion of deliberative rhetoric is narrowly focused on arguments of policy usually before a governing body, which Black expands to embrace speeches that entail consideration of future action, a choice between two or more forms of conduct, based on self-interest or future benefit (Black: 5). He is on the cusp of describing many exhortations to choose good or avoid evil as deliberative, for example: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (2:3839). Black then examines Acts 13:1441, not only as deliberative rhetoric, but also in terms of the traditional parts of a speech. There is no captatio benevolentiae here; but one does find narratio in the detailed recitation of Gods saving acts to Israel (13:1626), a propositio (13:26), followed by the probatio or demonstration (13:2737). In this the author demonstrates that the significance of Jesus, formerly ignored by the inhabitants of Jerusalem, has been vindicated by the resurrection and corroborated by the Scriptures (Black: 89). The speech ends with a classic conclusio or
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epilogue (13:3841), which traditionally recapitulates the major points of the speech and excites the emotions: (1) recapitulation of the basic argument (13:3839) and (2) arousal of emotions (13:4041). Although one might argue that the Bread of Life discourse in John is a word-by-word exegesis of He gave them bread from heaven to eat, there seem to be few other homiletic materials of either the Israelite or the Greco-Roman type. Yet we have parallel exhortations in John 15 to remain and love, which are both clearly in an exhortatory or deliberative mode. In the allegory of the vine and branches in 15:18, the speaker exhorts the disciples to remain, an exhortation which occurs seven times (vv 4, 4b, 4c, 5, 6, 7a, and 7b), sometimes in the imperative form and sometimes in a conditional clause. This exhortation builds on current relationships and urges the disciples to maintain them in the future, the value of which relationships provides the argument. The relationships are these: Jesus = vine, the disciples = the branches, while the Father = the vine dresser (vv 12, 5). We find telltale signs of an argument from advantage, which suggests that we consider this material an example of deliberative rhetoric which appeals for future action on the basis of future benefits. Remaining brings great advantage, just as not remaining leads to severe sanctions. A branch that remains and is cleansed by the vine dresser bears much fruit (v 2), a phrase repeated three times (vv 4, 5, 8) to underscore the advantage that comes from remaining. Similarly, branches that remain may petition God for whatever you will and expect Gods positive response (v 7)advantage indeed! In contrast, we are told of the sanctions imposed on those who do not remain. They are taken away (v 1), and worse, cast forth . . . wither . . . thrown into the fire and burned (v 6). We observe, then, an argument being made, not merely information imparted. Thus, we consider 15:18 to be a crisp example of deliberative rhetoric, which places before the disciples the decision of remaining, a deliberation richly rewarded or severely sanctioned. The argument from advantage is a regular feature of homilies and/or sermons. A second exhortation follows immediately, which begins with a command, remain in my love (v 9), and concludes with love one another (v 17). Evidently the focus is on love, for Jesus and because of him for one another. John 15: 917, moreover, is linked with vv 18 by means of four more references to remain (vv 910, 16). Thus 15:18 and 917 should be seen as parallel and linked exhortations. As was the case with vv 18, the exhortation in vv 917 is argued by (1) imperatival urging: Love one another!; (2) conditional sentences explaining this love, such as if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love (v 10); and (3) analogies that clarify the topic: as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you (v 9). In language that clearly uses the argument from advantage, the author first tells the disciples that remaining and loving elevate their status from that of servants to that of friends. The benefit of remaining and loving, then, is part of a status elevation of the disciple. Jesus final argument here is to remind the disciples of their debt in justice to him, which he is calling in through this exhortation: You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain (v 16). The verbs indicate the extent of Jesus benefaction, which creates the debt of justice: chose, appointed, bear fruit and your fruit remain. To this he appends one more benefaction, effective petitionary prayer: whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you (v 16b). This is exhortatory material, and it resumes the most important behaviors that the Fourth Gospel urges, remaining and loving. Because of its exhortatory character, it stands apart from all other parts of the Farewell Address. But is homily or sermon the appropriate classification? And do such things belong in worship? The type of rhetoric in 15:117 is deliberative; that is, it urges the hearers to make a choice that will affect their future, and its argument primarily rests on pointing out the advantage to those choosing to remain and love. Such rhetoric is not exclusive to homily or sermon and may occur in many types of public speaking. Yet it is most compatible with sermon and homily (see Heb 3:14:13; 6:112), which are admittedly parts of Christian worship. The three types of rhetoric are not confined to three genres only. Who speaks this? Is it a word from God? Jesus identifies the basic patron-broker-client relationship at the start (vine dresser, vine, branches). Sent by God to the world, Jesus labors to confirm to the clients that the relationship with the patron is to be had only by remaining in Gods broker. The exhortation argues that the past be continued in the present: Jesus as broker will continue to provide life to the branches, but only if the relationship with Jesus the broker remains. Jesus is indeed speaking, as he has throughout the Gospel; but he says all and only what the Patron has authorized him to say. It is, then, a word from God through Jesus. Judgment. Few scholars who list the various elements of Christian worship include mention of judgment as part of it. All the more, then, are David Aunes reflections worth
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Jesus and His Disciples the Spirit of Truth you know him for he dwells in you and will be in you (14:17) . . . but you will see me (14:19) how is it you will manifest yourself to us Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you . . . he has no power over me (14:30) But because you are not of the worlds, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you, know that it has hated me before . . . You will weep and lament . . . I came from the Father . . . I am leaving the world and going to the Father (16:28) . . . fear not, I have overcome the world (16:33)
The World whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him the world will see me no more. . . . . . . and not to the world (14:22) . . . not as the world gives peace do I give to you (14:27) the ruler of this world is coming . . . If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you (15:18). If you were of the world, the world would love its own (15:19) . . . but the world will rejoice (16:20) . . . and have come into the world
The discourse in the Farewell Address, then, makes and maintains boundaries with the world to emphasize the chasm that separates the disciples from the synagogue and to make any crossing back impossible. Thus in this context we read 16:711 as an oracle of judgment. The task of the Paraclete in 16:8 consists in some form of judgment, whether we translate the verb here as convict or convince (Brown: 18184). On the one hand, the Johannine group will surely have much to criticize the synagogue for, at least to confirm the synagogues utter depravity. Thus they are equipped with ready arguments to judge the synagogue and so prove it hopelessly wrong. On the other hand, this criticism serves also to firm up the groups own beliefs of superiority and its necessary separation from the world. Thus the Paraclete will prove to the disciples that the synagogue/ world is wrong and so guilty of sin, (false) righteousness, and (false) judgment (Carson: 54766). Of sin, because the world did not believe in Jesus; of [false] righteousness, because the synagogue judged Jesus a sinner and deceiver, yet Jesus will shortly be in the presence of the all holy God; and of [false] judgment, because it persecutes and judges Jesus, but by doing so it brings judgment upon itself. Thus, we argue that John 16:78 is a judgment oracle; God is the sender, who communicates through the channel of the Paraclete to the disciples for the purpose of shoring up the disciples even as it condemns their adversaries. We thus conclude the first part of the present study, in which we have investagated communication upwards, from the disciples to God, as the disciples were taught how to pray. In the second part, we shall reverse the emphasis and exam-
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ine how Jesus taught the disciples to listen.
ton, Longman & Todd. Downing, Gerald. 1992. The Ambiguity of The Pharisee and the Toll-Collector (Luke 18:914) in the Greco-Roman World of Late Antiquity. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 54: 8099. Ksemann, Ernst. 1979. Sentences of Holy Law in the New Testament. Pp. 6681 in his New Testament Questions of Today. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press. Malina, Bruce J. 1980. What Is Prayer? The Bible Today. 18: 21420. Malina Bruce J., & Richard L. Rohrbaugh. 1998. Social-Scientific Commentary on the Gospel of John. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress. Martin, Ralph P . 1964. Worship in the Early Church. London, UK: Marshall, Morgan & Scott. McCaffery, James. 1988. The House with Many Rooms. The Temple Theme of Jn. 14, 23. Rome, Italy: Pontifical Biblical Institute. Neyrey, Jerome H. 1998. The Sociology of Secrecy and the Fourth Gospel. Pp. 79110 in What is John? Volume II. Literary and Social Readings of the Fourth Gospel, edited by Fernando F. Segovia. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press. Richardson, C. C. 1962. Worship in New Testament Times, Christian. Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible 4.88394. Rogers, Everett M., & F. Floyd Shoemaker. 1971. Communication of Innovations. A Cross-Cultural Approach. New York, NY: Free Press. Segovia, Fernando. 1991. The Farewell of the Word. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
Works Cited
Aune, David E. 1992. Worship, Early Christian, ABD 6.97389. 1983. Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 1972. The Cultic Setting of Realized Eschatology in Early Christianity. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. Berlo, David K. 1960. The Process of Communication. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Black, C. Clifton. 1988. The Rhetorical Form of the Hellenistic Jewish and Early Christian Sermon: A Response to Lawrence Wills, Harvard Theological Review 81:118. Boring, M. Eugene. 1991. The Continuing Voice of Jesus. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox. Browker, J. K. 1967. Speeches in Acts: A Study in Proem and Yelammedenu Form. New Testament Studies 14: 96111. Brown, Tricia Gates. 2003. Spirit in the Writings of John. New York, NY: T & T Clark International. Carson, D. A. 1979. The Function of the Paraclete in John 16:7 11. Journal of Biblical Literature 98: 54766. Cullmann, Oscar. 1953. Early Christian Worship. London: SCM Press. Davies, G. Henton. 1962. Worship in the Old Testament. Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible 4.879. Delling, Gerhard. 1962. Worship in the NT. London: Dar-
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